The Truth
by The Dark I Know Well
Summary: What if she understood it all wrong? What if he had just danced with her, played a little game with her? What if he did not feel about her the way she felt about him? Set post 3x14


**The Truth**

It was a dreary day. The sun had not come out and raindrops were forming patterns on the windows. She sighed. Nothing was turning out the way she had wanted it to and then there was the rain that locked her inside. Although it fitted her mood perfectly. Any ray of sunshine would have just upset her more. As if that was possible.

She didn't know what to do with herself. Her thoughts kept overflowing and creating more and more chaos within her mind. Every time she managed to achieve some sort of composure, some sort of agreement with the things she was feeling, a new thought occurred and destroyed every semi-agreeable feeling she had.

Fragments of last night flashed before her eyes. How he had held her in his arms. How they were sweeping across the floor. Dancing while his arms were wrapped around her. It had felt like the safest place on earth. She was convinced no one could ever hurt her again as long as they were dancing. Or as long as she was with him. He would protect her, make sure no one would harm her. Ever.

But still, she had never been more terrified in her whole life. It was a different kind of fear than she had ever experienced before. It was the fear of knowing that yes, he would keep her away from all danger, but he would be the only one who could actually hurt her. Hurt her in a way that nobody else could. He could destroy her, he was capable of that. He could tear her apart without even touching her. Nothing more than his words, his thoughts, his feelings for her. Those could break her.  
>And it terrified her.<p>

She knew that despite that wicked fear she felt for him, despite that little voice in her head that kept saying she should stay away from him, she could not. She had to see him. She had to _know_. The only way in which she would be able to find out if all these feelings she had for him, these indescribable, flaming, burning, painful feelings, were real, was by looking into his deep, deep eyes and see the truth within them.

Before she could change her mind, but also because she had to see him this very moment, she left the house immediately. She didn't care about the rain anymore and let it run down over her. Her anxiety of seeing him made her so nervous. Never in her life had she experienced this feeling before. She had to keep moving, so she started walking. Or running, as fast as she could. She had no idea where he was, but somehow, her feet brought her to the woods, knowing she would find him there.

She walked past thousands of trees and sometimes the branches scratched her. She didn't care, she just wanted to go faster and faster. It took her too long to find him, she needed him with her now.

Suddenly, she acknowledged the presence of someone else. That someone was _him_. When she turned the other way, she saw him standing in a little open field, his back towards her. He must have known she was there, but he did not turn around to face her, he just stood there, looking at the grass. It gave her time to collect herself, to calm down and to take a deep breath. But she could not wait any longer. She had to _know_.

Before she knew it, she had crossed the distance between them, his back still turned to her. She wanted to be the first to speak and she wanted to say what she had to say before he would look her in the eyes. She wouldn't be able to speak anymore if he looked at her. Knowing that this was the moment, that it would all come down to what she would say now, she started talking softly, her voice trembling, her body shaking.

_'Klaus, I...'_

She stopped talking. Suddenly afraid she was going to say the wrong things, to use the wrong words. A different kind of fear took over her senses. What if she had understood it all wrong? What if she had made things up in her mind, twisted words and gave them a meaning they did not have? What if he had just danced with her, played a little game with her? What if he did not feel about her the way she felt about him?

While these thoughts were running through her mind, making her unable to move or speak, he finally started to react. Slowly, very slowly, he lifted his head up. She could hear how he took a deep breath. She cringed at the thought of what he could say now, but he did not say anything at all. He took another breath and then he started to turn around. First his head, then his shoulders and the rest of his body followed. She forced herself to look up at him, to see his face and read his thoughts. As soon as their eyes met, they locked.

Suddenly, she wasn't afraid anymore. She saw it in his eyes and how he looked at her. He felt it too. He needed her as much as she needed him. He parted his lips and now she knew he was going to talk. Anxious to hear what he would say, she leaned in her head a little closer to his, her eyes wide of wonder.

He only spoke one word, one little word. Her name. But it was all she needed, because he said it with every feeling that he had for her. She felt it throughout her whole body, taking away any doubt she ever had. This was happening, this was real. It hadn't been a dream or a false hope. They stood there, in the open field, with their eyes locked, for a very long time. They would be together, always.

_'Caroline...'_


End file.
